Web Design Update: June 24, 2025
441 views
Skip to first unread message
Laura Carlson
Jun 24, 2025, 5:19:58 AMJun 24
to webdev
+++ WEB DESIGN UPDATE.
- Volume 25, Issue, June 24, 2025.
An email newsletter to distribute news and information about web design and development.
++ISSUE 52 CONTENTS.
SECTION ONE: New references.
What's new at the Web Design Reference site?
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/
New links in these categories:
01: ACCESSIBILITY.
02: BOOKS
03: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS.
04: EVALUATION & TESTING.
05: EVENTS.
06: HTML.
07: JAVASCRIPT.
08: MISCELLANEOUS.
09: USABILITY.
10: WEBWASTE & SUSTAINABILITY.
SECTION TWO:
11: What Can You Find at the Web Design Reference Site?
[Contents ends.]
++ SECTION ONE: New references.
+01: ACCESSIBILITY.
Testing Methods: Meaningful Sequence
By Dennis Deacon.
"WCAG 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence is a Level A conformance level Success Criterion…"
https://www.dennisdeacon.com/web/accessibility/testing-methods-meaningful-sequence/
Testing Methods: Sensory Characteristics
By Dennis Deacon.
"WCAG 1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics is a Level A conformance level Success Criterion…"
https://www.dennisdeacon.com/web/accessibility/testing-methods-sensory-characteristics/
WCAG 3, Increment or Overhaul?
By Alastair Campbell.
"It's charter time for the Accessibility Guidelines Working Group, well, in 6 months, but we have to start the planning well in advance…"
https://alastairc.uk/2025/06/increment-or-overhaul-wcag-3/
Pseudomotion, Motion Sensitivity, and Accessibility
By Sheri Byrne-Haber.
"Motion sensitivity is a condition that affects a significant number of people, including those with vestibular disorders, migraines, epilepsy, and other neurological conditions…"
https://buttondown.com/access-ability/archive/pseudomotion-motion-sensitivity-and-accessibility/
Applications that Create PDFs & Accessibility Output
By Dennis Deacon.
"…Some source applications do a better job at generating accessible PDF files. Following is a roundup of common applications that can generate PDFs, and the capability of creating accessible files…"
https://www.dennisdeacon.com/web/accessibility/applications-that-create-pdfs-accessibility-output/
PDF Strategy in Improving Accessibility
By Dennis Deacon.
"…While PDFs may offer convenience for some, they create significant barriers for others. In fact, in many cases (and depending on my mood that day, most cases), PDFs completely block access for people who rely on assistive technology like screen readers…"
https://www.dennisdeacon.com/web/accessibility/pdf-strategy-in-improving-accessibility/
Star Rating Accessibility
By Kazuhiko Tsuchiya.
"There is a user interface (UI) that shows the user evaluation of products and services by the number of stars, such as on e-commerce sites and reviews. It seems that there is no simple Japanese expression, but it seems to be called "star rating" in English…"
https://accessible-usable.net/2025/06/entry_250613.html
Accessibility in Design Systems
By Sjoerd Beentjes.
"Design systems help with accessibility, but they're not the full solution…"
https://www.voorhoede.nl/en/blog/accessibility-in-design-systems/
Don't Fix Over It, Demand It: Why You Should Require Accessibility from Your Suppliers
By Nir Horesh.
"…Instead of struggling with workarounds, contact your suppliers and require accessible solutions…"
https://www.nira11y.com/post/don-t-fix-it-demand-it-why-you-should-require-accessibility-from-your-suppliers
Don't Use That Accessibility Overlay
By Lucy Greco.
"…Overlays really don't work and have ongoing costs…"
https://accessaces.com/dont-use-that-accessibility-overlay/
+02: BOOKS
* Williams, Michele A. Accessible UX Research, Smashing, 2025.
+03: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS.
CSS: The Pain Is Real
By Jens Oliver Meiert.
"Thesis: Proponents of utility CSS * (presentational HTML) have never performed a CSS-only redesign…"
https://meiert.com/blog/css-the-pain-is-real/
CSS Cascade Layers Vs. BEM Vs. Utility Classes: Specificity Control
By Victor Ayomipo.
"CSS can be unpredictable - and specificity is often the culprit. Victor Ayomipo breaks down how and why your styles might not behave as expected, and why understanding specificity is better than relying on !important flags…"
https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2025/06/css-cascade-layers-bem-utility-classes-specificity-control/
Exploring the CSS contrast-color() Function… a Second Time
By Daniel Schwarz.
"In many countries, web accessibility is a human right and the law, and there can be heavy fines for non-compliance…"
https://css-tricks.com/exploring-the-css-contrast-color-function-a-second-time/
+04: EVALUATION & TESTING.
Schools of Thought on Sample Sizes in UX Research
By Jeff Sauro and Jim Lewis.
"Five users are enough. Or do you need a large sample size to make statistically significant claims? One of the enduring controversies and sources of confusion in UX research concerns sample size…"
https://measuringu.com/schools-of-thought-on-ux-sample-sizes/
+05: EVENTS.
WCAG 2.2 and Beyond: Key Updates and Essential Guidelines You Need to Know
June 25, 2025.
Online
https://a11ytalks.com/posts/2025-jun
Digital Collegium 2025 Accessibility Summit
July 29, 2025.
Online
https://events.digicol.org/a11ysummit25
Building Interactive, Accessible Components with Modern CSS & JS Dev with Stephanie Eckles
August 18-27, 2025.
Online
https://smashingconf.com/online-workshops/workshops/stephanie-eckles-interactive-components/
Open Source Summit Europe 2025
Amsterdam, Netherlands
August 25-27, 2025.
https://osseu2025.sched.com/
+06: HTML.
Expert Guide: Writing HTML for Screen Reader Users
By Florian Schroiff.
"Improve your website's accessibility with our comprehensive guide on utilising HTML for screen readers. Learn the best practices and avoid common pitfalls…"
https://www.a11y-collective.com/blog/html-screen-reader/
+07: JAVASCRIPT.
What I Wish Someone Told Me When I Was Getting Into ARIA
By Eric Bailey.
"Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) is an inevitability when working on web accessibility. That said, it's everyone's first time learning about ARIA at some point…"
https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2025/06/what-i-wish-someone-told-me-aria/
JavaScript Broke the Web (And Called It Progress)
By Jono Alderson.
"…Semantic HTML? Optional. Server-side rendering? Rebuilt from scratch. Accessibility? Maybe, if there's time. Performance? Who cares, when you can save costs by putting loading burdens onto the user's device, instead of your server? So gradually, the web became something you had to compile before you could publish. Not because users needed it. But because developers wanted it to feel modern. Everything's optimised for developers - and hostile to everyone else. This isn't accidental. It's cultural. We've created an industry where complexity is celebrated. Where cleverness is rewarded. Where engineering sophistication is valued more than clarity, usability, or commercial effectiveness…"
https://www.jonoalderson.com/conjecture/javascript-broke-the-web-and-called-it-progress/
+08: MISCELLANEOUS.
Large Language Muddle
By Jason Santa Maria.
"…It feels like someone just harvested lumber from a forest I helped grow, and now wants to sell me the furniture they made with it…"
https://jasonsantamaria.com/blog/large-language-muddle
+09: USABILITY.
How Human-Centered Design Improves Accessibility Remediation
By Sam Proulx.
"Human-centered design has the best intentions…"
https://makeitfablestg.wpengine.com/article/how-human-centered-design-improves-accessibility-remediation/
The Power of White Space in UX Design
By Toby Biddle.
"Are you looking to improve the user experience of your website or app? If so, you may want to consider something that seems counterintuitive at first: adding more empty space…"
https://www.loop11.com/the-power-of-white-space-in-ux-design/
Mobile UX Trends 2025: 9 Common Pitfalls & Best Practices
By Iva Olah.
"Compared to 2024, ecommerce mobile UX performance has improved significantly in 2025
Yet most sites still rank as 'mediocre,' bordering on 'poor'…"
https://baymard.com/blog/mobile-ux-ecommerce
+10: WEBWASTE & SUSTAINABILITY.
We Did the Math on AI's Energy Footprint. Here's the Story You Haven't Heard
By James O'Donnell and Casey Crownhart.
"The emissions from individual AI text, image, and video queries seem small-until you add up what the industry isn't tracking and consider where it's heading next…"
https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/05/20/1116327/ai-energy-usage-climate-footprint-big-tech/
[Section one ends.]
++ SECTION TWO:
+11: What Can You Find at the Web Design Reference Site?
Accessibility Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/accessibility.html
Association Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/associations.html
Book Listings.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/books.html
Cascading Style Sheets Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/css.html
Color Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/color.html
Drupal Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/drupal.html
Evaluation & Testing Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/testing.html
Event Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/events.html
HTML Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/html.html
Information Architecture Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/architecture.html
JavaScript Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/javascript.html
Miscellaneous Web Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/misc.html
Navigation Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/navigation.html
PHP Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/php.html
Sites & Blogs Listing.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/sites.html
Standards, Guidelines & Pattern Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/standards.html
Tool Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/tools.html
Typography Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/type.html
Usability Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/usability.html
WebWaste & Sustainability Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/webwaste.html
XML Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/xml.html
[Section two ends.]
++END NOTES.
+ SUBSCRIPTION INFO.
WEB DESIGN UPDATE is available by subscription. For information on how to subscribe and unsubscribe please visit:
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/webdev_listserv.html
The Web Design Reference Site also has a RSS 2.0 feed for site updates.
+ TEXT EMAIL NEWSLETTER (TEN).
As a navigation aid for screen readers we do our best to conform to the accessible Text Email Newsletter (TEN) guidelines. Please let me know if there is anything else we can do to make navigation easier. For TEN guideline information please visit:
http://www.headstar.com/ten
+ SIGN OFF.
Until next time,
Laura L. Carlson
Information Technology Systems and Services
University of Minnesota Duluth
Duluth, MN U.S.A. 55812-3009
mailto:lcar...@d.umn.edu
[Issue ends.]
- Volume 25, Issue, June 24, 2025.
An email newsletter to distribute news and information about web design and development.
++ISSUE 52 CONTENTS.
SECTION ONE: New references.
What's new at the Web Design Reference site?
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/
New links in these categories:
01: ACCESSIBILITY.
02: BOOKS
03: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS.
04: EVALUATION & TESTING.
05: EVENTS.
06: HTML.
07: JAVASCRIPT.
08: MISCELLANEOUS.
09: USABILITY.
10: WEBWASTE & SUSTAINABILITY.
SECTION TWO:
11: What Can You Find at the Web Design Reference Site?
[Contents ends.]
++ SECTION ONE: New references.
+01: ACCESSIBILITY.
Testing Methods: Meaningful Sequence
By Dennis Deacon.
"WCAG 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence is a Level A conformance level Success Criterion…"
https://www.dennisdeacon.com/web/accessibility/testing-methods-meaningful-sequence/
Testing Methods: Sensory Characteristics
By Dennis Deacon.
"WCAG 1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics is a Level A conformance level Success Criterion…"
https://www.dennisdeacon.com/web/accessibility/testing-methods-sensory-characteristics/
WCAG 3, Increment or Overhaul?
By Alastair Campbell.
"It's charter time for the Accessibility Guidelines Working Group, well, in 6 months, but we have to start the planning well in advance…"
https://alastairc.uk/2025/06/increment-or-overhaul-wcag-3/
Pseudomotion, Motion Sensitivity, and Accessibility
By Sheri Byrne-Haber.
"Motion sensitivity is a condition that affects a significant number of people, including those with vestibular disorders, migraines, epilepsy, and other neurological conditions…"
https://buttondown.com/access-ability/archive/pseudomotion-motion-sensitivity-and-accessibility/
Applications that Create PDFs & Accessibility Output
By Dennis Deacon.
"…Some source applications do a better job at generating accessible PDF files. Following is a roundup of common applications that can generate PDFs, and the capability of creating accessible files…"
https://www.dennisdeacon.com/web/accessibility/applications-that-create-pdfs-accessibility-output/
PDF Strategy in Improving Accessibility
By Dennis Deacon.
"…While PDFs may offer convenience for some, they create significant barriers for others. In fact, in many cases (and depending on my mood that day, most cases), PDFs completely block access for people who rely on assistive technology like screen readers…"
https://www.dennisdeacon.com/web/accessibility/pdf-strategy-in-improving-accessibility/
Star Rating Accessibility
By Kazuhiko Tsuchiya.
"There is a user interface (UI) that shows the user evaluation of products and services by the number of stars, such as on e-commerce sites and reviews. It seems that there is no simple Japanese expression, but it seems to be called "star rating" in English…"
https://accessible-usable.net/2025/06/entry_250613.html
Accessibility in Design Systems
By Sjoerd Beentjes.
"Design systems help with accessibility, but they're not the full solution…"
https://www.voorhoede.nl/en/blog/accessibility-in-design-systems/
Don't Fix Over It, Demand It: Why You Should Require Accessibility from Your Suppliers
By Nir Horesh.
"…Instead of struggling with workarounds, contact your suppliers and require accessible solutions…"
https://www.nira11y.com/post/don-t-fix-it-demand-it-why-you-should-require-accessibility-from-your-suppliers
Don't Use That Accessibility Overlay
By Lucy Greco.
"…Overlays really don't work and have ongoing costs…"
https://accessaces.com/dont-use-that-accessibility-overlay/
+02: BOOKS
* Williams, Michele A. Accessible UX Research, Smashing, 2025.
+03: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS.
CSS: The Pain Is Real
By Jens Oliver Meiert.
"Thesis: Proponents of utility CSS * (presentational HTML) have never performed a CSS-only redesign…"
https://meiert.com/blog/css-the-pain-is-real/
CSS Cascade Layers Vs. BEM Vs. Utility Classes: Specificity Control
By Victor Ayomipo.
"CSS can be unpredictable - and specificity is often the culprit. Victor Ayomipo breaks down how and why your styles might not behave as expected, and why understanding specificity is better than relying on !important flags…"
https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2025/06/css-cascade-layers-bem-utility-classes-specificity-control/
Exploring the CSS contrast-color() Function… a Second Time
By Daniel Schwarz.
"In many countries, web accessibility is a human right and the law, and there can be heavy fines for non-compliance…"
https://css-tricks.com/exploring-the-css-contrast-color-function-a-second-time/
+04: EVALUATION & TESTING.
Schools of Thought on Sample Sizes in UX Research
By Jeff Sauro and Jim Lewis.
"Five users are enough. Or do you need a large sample size to make statistically significant claims? One of the enduring controversies and sources of confusion in UX research concerns sample size…"
https://measuringu.com/schools-of-thought-on-ux-sample-sizes/
+05: EVENTS.
WCAG 2.2 and Beyond: Key Updates and Essential Guidelines You Need to Know
June 25, 2025.
Online
https://a11ytalks.com/posts/2025-jun
Digital Collegium 2025 Accessibility Summit
July 29, 2025.
Online
https://events.digicol.org/a11ysummit25
Building Interactive, Accessible Components with Modern CSS & JS Dev with Stephanie Eckles
August 18-27, 2025.
Online
https://smashingconf.com/online-workshops/workshops/stephanie-eckles-interactive-components/
Open Source Summit Europe 2025
Amsterdam, Netherlands
August 25-27, 2025.
https://osseu2025.sched.com/
+06: HTML.
Expert Guide: Writing HTML for Screen Reader Users
By Florian Schroiff.
"Improve your website's accessibility with our comprehensive guide on utilising HTML for screen readers. Learn the best practices and avoid common pitfalls…"
https://www.a11y-collective.com/blog/html-screen-reader/
+07: JAVASCRIPT.
What I Wish Someone Told Me When I Was Getting Into ARIA
By Eric Bailey.
"Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) is an inevitability when working on web accessibility. That said, it's everyone's first time learning about ARIA at some point…"
https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2025/06/what-i-wish-someone-told-me-aria/
JavaScript Broke the Web (And Called It Progress)
By Jono Alderson.
"…Semantic HTML? Optional. Server-side rendering? Rebuilt from scratch. Accessibility? Maybe, if there's time. Performance? Who cares, when you can save costs by putting loading burdens onto the user's device, instead of your server? So gradually, the web became something you had to compile before you could publish. Not because users needed it. But because developers wanted it to feel modern. Everything's optimised for developers - and hostile to everyone else. This isn't accidental. It's cultural. We've created an industry where complexity is celebrated. Where cleverness is rewarded. Where engineering sophistication is valued more than clarity, usability, or commercial effectiveness…"
https://www.jonoalderson.com/conjecture/javascript-broke-the-web-and-called-it-progress/
+08: MISCELLANEOUS.
Large Language Muddle
By Jason Santa Maria.
"…It feels like someone just harvested lumber from a forest I helped grow, and now wants to sell me the furniture they made with it…"
https://jasonsantamaria.com/blog/large-language-muddle
+09: USABILITY.
How Human-Centered Design Improves Accessibility Remediation
By Sam Proulx.
"Human-centered design has the best intentions…"
https://makeitfablestg.wpengine.com/article/how-human-centered-design-improves-accessibility-remediation/
The Power of White Space in UX Design
By Toby Biddle.
"Are you looking to improve the user experience of your website or app? If so, you may want to consider something that seems counterintuitive at first: adding more empty space…"
https://www.loop11.com/the-power-of-white-space-in-ux-design/
Mobile UX Trends 2025: 9 Common Pitfalls & Best Practices
By Iva Olah.
"Compared to 2024, ecommerce mobile UX performance has improved significantly in 2025
Yet most sites still rank as 'mediocre,' bordering on 'poor'…"
https://baymard.com/blog/mobile-ux-ecommerce
+10: WEBWASTE & SUSTAINABILITY.
We Did the Math on AI's Energy Footprint. Here's the Story You Haven't Heard
By James O'Donnell and Casey Crownhart.
"The emissions from individual AI text, image, and video queries seem small-until you add up what the industry isn't tracking and consider where it's heading next…"
https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/05/20/1116327/ai-energy-usage-climate-footprint-big-tech/
[Section one ends.]
++ SECTION TWO:
+11: What Can You Find at the Web Design Reference Site?
Accessibility Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/accessibility.html
Association Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/associations.html
Book Listings.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/books.html
Cascading Style Sheets Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/css.html
Color Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/color.html
Drupal Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/drupal.html
Evaluation & Testing Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/testing.html
Event Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/events.html
HTML Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/html.html
Information Architecture Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/architecture.html
JavaScript Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/javascript.html
Miscellaneous Web Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/misc.html
Navigation Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/navigation.html
PHP Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/php.html
Sites & Blogs Listing.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/sites.html
Standards, Guidelines & Pattern Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/standards.html
Tool Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/tools.html
Typography Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/type.html
Usability Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/usability.html
WebWaste & Sustainability Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/webwaste.html
XML Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/xml.html
[Section two ends.]
++END NOTES.
+ SUBSCRIPTION INFO.
WEB DESIGN UPDATE is available by subscription. For information on how to subscribe and unsubscribe please visit:
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/webdev_listserv.html
The Web Design Reference Site also has a RSS 2.0 feed for site updates.
+ TEXT EMAIL NEWSLETTER (TEN).
As a navigation aid for screen readers we do our best to conform to the accessible Text Email Newsletter (TEN) guidelines. Please let me know if there is anything else we can do to make navigation easier. For TEN guideline information please visit:
http://www.headstar.com/ten
+ SIGN OFF.
Until next time,
Laura L. Carlson
Information Technology Systems and Services
University of Minnesota Duluth
Duluth, MN U.S.A. 55812-3009
mailto:lcar...@d.umn.edu
[Issue ends.]
Laura L. Carlson
Information Technology Systems and Services
University of Minnesota Duluth
Duluth, MN U.S.A. 55812-3009
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/
W3C Invited Expert
Accessibility Guidelines Working Group
https://www.w3.org/groups/wg/ag/participants
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Information Technology Systems and Services
University of Minnesota Duluth
Duluth, MN U.S.A. 55812-3009
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/
W3C Invited Expert
Accessibility Guidelines Working Group
https://www.w3.org/groups/wg/ag/participants
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages